Castanet Couples Challenge
by CAPJHMPAgirl
Summary: Mayor Hamilton has decided to create a series of competitions in order to pair up the young adults of Castanet. He feels a little push never hurts. Will his crazy plan work or will it lead the island into a state of mayhem. Includes all four farmers: Molly, Angela, Kasey, and Kevin. Some pairing are canon and some are random. Rated T to be safe. R&R Pairings are the matched couples
1. Chapter 1

**Note from the author: I don't own Harvest Moon or the lovely picture for this story. Credit goes to the respectful owners. **

** Some of the pairings are a bit weird but I have a few ideas in store for them. ;) I also apologize for having so many lines in the chapter. I just felt like it made the story flow a bit better. Anyways feel free to let me know what you think and enjoy.  
**

Mayor Hamilton had a plan. He could get the young adults of the island paired up in no time. "A friendly series of competitions ought to do the trick." He chuckled to himself. "Now my boy can finally get himself hitched. Any girl will do. This is going work out perfectly." Little did the mayor actually know just how well his little plan would work.

The next morning the bachelors and bachelorettes of Castanet were called out to the Church grounds. This included the islands four farmer siblings Kasey, Kevin, Molly, and Angela. The Witch Princess and Wizard also made an appearance. Though the Harvest God and Goddess were nowhere to be seen. No one knew exactly what Hamilton gathered them for, not even his own son, Gill.

"Welcome to the Castanet Couples Challenge." Hamilton announced.

"What are you talking about, father? There are no couples here." Gill asked.

"Let me get to that my boy." Hamilton replied. "I have created a friendly competition for you all to compete in. You will all be paired up, hence the couple challenge. The winning pair will receive a fabulous prize."

"Father, this idea is absurd. I have to obj-" Gill started.

"This will be a required event for all of you to participate in." Hamilton announced. There was a loud groan through the crowd and a few shouts of protest.

"Hey, what's the prize anyway, Hammy?" Kasey shouted. Everyone turned to face him. Molly hit him in side for calling the mayor Hammy to his face. "Ow!"

"I'm glad someone's into the competition," Hamilton said, disregarding the nickname. "Every pair walks away with a smaller prize, but the winners will get a prize so magnificent that it makes me want to enter myself."

Kasey opened his mouth to speak, but Molly quickly placed her hand over his mouth. "Will this interfere with our daily chores? My siblings and I need to tend to our farm daily." Angela asked.

"No, not at all Angela. You will have plenty of time. The events are spread throughout the week." Hamilton replied. "Any more questions?" No one spoke up. "Okay. Ladies, if you will please follow me. Gentlemen please stay here." Hamilton guided the girls back towards town, leaving the guys wondering what was going on.

"I apologize for my father's strange behavior. I can try to talk him out of his plan later." Gill said.

"I say we just bolt now." Owen said.

Kasey smirked. "Are you afraid to lose in a little competition?"

"Of course not. It's obvious that I will win." Owen retorted.

"This is a waste of time. I'm leaving." Chase stated bluntly, before Kasey could retaliate.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The Wizard said. Everyone stared at him. Chase raised a brow. The Wizard sighed and pointed at a few trees. "You see the Mayor has left a few cameras around to keep an eye on us." Everyone stared.

"So I guess this means we're stuck. " Calvin said.

"Why are you guys so down about this? It's going to be EXTREME!" Luke said, giving Kasey a high five.

"Anyway, shouldn't we be wondering who our 'partners' are going to be?" Kasey asked. This statement caught everyone's attention. "Personally, I'll take any of the girls, except my bratty sisters."

"What do you mean bratty? Angela is awesome." Luke said. Everyone laughed. They already knew about Luke's huge crush on Angela. Luke, now realizing what he said, added. "Molly's cool too."

"I just hope I don't get paired up with Maya." Chase said. "She drives me nuts."

"I hope to get my beloved Candace." Julius said. Kasey's eyes opened a little and he walked over to Kevin. He pulled out 200G and handed it to his brother. Kevin smiled at his winnings from the bet he and his brother had placed to whether or not Julius was gay. They made the bet immediately after finding out, two seasons after meeting him, that Julius was in fact a guy, not a girl.

"I guess he is straight." Kasey mumbled, out of anyone's earshot.

Before the boys could continue their conversation, Hamilton came to fetch them. "Follow me boys. Your partner challenge awaits." The group approached a massive maze along the beach in town.

"Was this here this morning?" Kevin asked. Everyone shook their head and shrugged.

"Okay boys here are the rules. You will all enter the maze. The first young lady you find will be your partner. Once you find a partner you will be directed out of the maze. No cheating, you are being monitored. Please line up on that line." The boys gathered around the line. "Ready set, GO!"

* * *

Luke pressed through the crowd and sprinted. He heard someone shout his name and turned, still running backwards. He saw Owen and Kasey sprinting towards him. Luke turned into the nearest path and turned just in time to knock a girl to the ground.

"Angela?"

"Hi Luke. Umm do you mind getting off of me?" Luke looked at their position. His face turned red and he immediately got up. He extended a hand and helped pull Angela up too.

"Luke and Angela have been paired." A loud voice boomed. The pair looked around for the source of the voice. They spotted a giant megaphone towards the center of the maze. A small beep came from one of the walls as it slowly lifted providing an exit.

"I guess we get out here." Angela said. Luke nodded as they headed off to the beach.

* * *

Kasey and Owen were still trying to outsprint each other. They finally got tired and started to walk.

Luna and Selena had found each other during the maze and stayed together. They heard voices approaching. They figured it was the blacksmith and one of the farmers.

"Where is Gill? He's supposed to find me." Luna whined.

"Shush, they are going to hear us." Selena whispered.

"Do you hear something?" Kasey asked.

"Yeah voices coming from over there." Owen replied.

They got closer to where the two girls were. "Sorry Selena, but I really need Gill to find me." Luna whispered as she pushed Selena forward from their hiding spot and ran off. Selena landed in a pair of arms.

"Wow Sel, you're really falling for me." Kasey joked, as he straightened her up. She turned a little red from anger and whacked him in the back of the head.

"I was pushed, you dope." She retorted.

"Pushed?" Owen asked. "Who was with you?"

Selena rolled her eyes. "She went that way." Owen took off.

He saw a girl ahead, with pink pigtails flying. He caught her arm. "Well, well, well if it isn't the little tailor girl."

"I'm not little. Let go of me." Luna screamed, kicking his shin.

"Oh and she's feisty too." He laughed. Luna glared at him. Before she could scold him, the announcer came on.

"Kasey and Selena have been paired. Owen and Luna have been paired. The rest of you need to hurry it up."

A door opened and Luna stormed off, with Owen right behind her.

* * *

Back towards the entrance of the maze, which had been closed since the last male entered, Gill, Chase, and the Wizard were still standing around. Three pairs had already been called.

"This is pointless." Chase said, rolling his eyes. The others silently agreed. Suddenly a bucket of water was appeared over their heads. The Wizard was quick to notice the bucket and the clear strings holding it up. He slowly slipped out of the splash zone, just in time for the bucket to spill all over Chase and Gill.

"Move it or get soaked boys." Hamilton shouted through the megaphone.

Chase and Gill were infuriated. They stormed off in opposite directions. The Wizard decided it was time for him to start wandering as well. He came to a stop at a dead end. He sat down and pulled a book out. About five minutes into reading a figure approached him.

"Hey Wizard." She said.

He looked up to see Molly standing right in front of him. "Hello Molly." He replied.

* * *

Toby was a carefree kind of guy, so when he was put into the maze he wandered aimlessly and found a nap spot. He too had found a dead end and decided to take a nap. A gentle hand woke him up. A brunette with kind maple eyes was kneeling beside him. He smiled.

* * *

Phoebe was getting anxious. Toby and Renee were already paired, so were Kathy and Calvin. She questioned why she had to participate in the contest. She of all people certainly had better things to do. In fact she really wanted to get to work on one of her inventions. As she looked around, she saw a figure approach. Her eyes widened. _Dear Goddess no. Not him_. Of all the residents of Castanet, Phoebe disliked him the most.

Julius approached her, arms crossed. "I guess you'll have to do, but we are going to have to work on your outfit. You are a fashion disaster. I mean red glasses, those are so two seasons ago."

"Excuse me. You are the one tha-." Phoebe started. The announcement cut her off and when the door opened, she fumed off.

* * *

Kevin found the Witch Princess and Gill about five seconds after they had found each other.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Gill asked. "I can't say I've ever seen you before today."

The girl cocked her head. "You haven't heard of me. I am the Witch Princess. Feel free to bow before me, Gill."

A puzzled look came across Gill's face. "Are you joking?"

The girl raised her hands to her hips. She stared at him, finally settling on rolling her eyes. "Just don't get on my bad side or," she smirked, "I'll turn you into a frog."

Kevin turned to leave as he heard the announcement.

"Gill and the Witch Princess have been paired. Jin and Anissa have also been paired."

Kevin continued down a path. He saw a figure in the distance. He waved. He had found his partner.

* * *

Chase had to hurry. The only girls left were Candace and Maya. He silently prayed to get Candace. He just had to find her before Kevin could.

Chase heard footsteps behind him. He gulped. The announcement came on. "Kevin and Candace have been paired." Chase froze. _That meant, no it can't be._

"CHASEY!" Maya squealed. Maya attacked him with a hug and started blabbering away about how excited she was. _The Goddess hates me,_ he decided.

* * *

"Okay, Ladies and Gentlemen you have been paired off. No changes will be made. Now for our first challenge. The 24-hour handcuff challenge! You will be handcuffed to your partner for 24 hours." The mayor announced.

"Father, please th-" Gill started.

"No interrupting me." Hamilton said cutting him off.

"Mayor, with all due respect, I do sleep during 24 hours. I would appreciate sleeping without someone handcuffed to me." Molly said.

The mayor took the statement into consideration. In truth, he forgot about sleep. "Alright then, I will make the challenge 12 hours."

"What if we have to use the restroom?" Luna asked in a rather rude manner.

"I thought about that. The adults of the town have keys to the handcuffs. Just talk to them and they will unlock you for a few minutes." Hamilton replied, implying an idea of flawlessness. The pairs groaned. Ignoring them, Hamilton continued, "Tomorrow everyone is to meet at 9 am sharp at the Church Grounds. The twelve hours will begin then. Warning: if you or your partner is late, you will have to make up for the lost time. I will see you all tomorrow."

After his announcement everyone headed back home. No one was sure what the next few days would hold in store for them. All they could do was wait and possibly win.


	2. Handcuffs Pt1

**Note from the author: I am incredibly sorry for how long it took me to get this chapter up. I started this chapter a while ago and didn't like where it was going, so I put it aside. Then I just kept getting busy... Anyway I picked it back up and here's the next chapter. I didn't really intend for the handcuff thing to get too many chapters, but it will _probably_ have four. Here's part one enjoy!**

Angela woke up extra early the next morning. She went out and stared at the rising sun. Kevin was soon to follow.

"Good morning," he said.

"Good morning," she replied. She hesitated briefly before asking her brother a question. "Kevin?"

"Yes?" he said.

"What do you think today's going to be like?" she asked.

"I'm not too sure. Honestly I don't understand why Hamilton is even doing this in the first place. Why, are you worried?"

"Hm. A little. I mean Luke is great, I'm just worried about… Never mind it's nothing. Are you excited to spend the day with Candace?"

Her brother looked at her curiously. Deciding on not asking his sister anymore he answered her. "I don't know her to well, although she seems really shy. I'm sure it won't be too bad. Do you want to head on over soon? Molly and Kasey should be up shortly."

Angela nodded her head. "Sounds good. I just got to take care of my chores."

The pair quickly watered their crops and tended to their animals. They soon headed out to the Church Grounds. As the hours passed the Castanet villagers trailed along. Nine o'clock was approaching and there was no sign of Molly, Kasey, Luna, or Phoebe.

Hamilton stared at his watch. Just five more minutes until nine.

"Ow, mom stop it. I don't want to do this." Phoebe protested as her mother was pulling her by the ear towards the Church Grounds.

"Be quiet Phoebe." Barbara said.

Everyone watched as Phoebe stormed off to talk to Kathy and Renee. Angela and Kevin exchanged a look of concern? Where were Molly and Kasey? Angela walked over to Candace, who was standing next to Anissa.

"Hey Candace. Where's Luna?" Angela asked.

"Umm, well, umm she said she would come soon…" Candace replied. "I-I-I'm not sure if she is coming though… She was really upset yesterday."

"I see." Angela replied.

Chase, Gill , and the Wizard, looked unamused. Gill and Chase crossed their arms complaining to each other. Luke was eagerly talking to Owen. They were discussing possible competitions and wagers for as to who would actually win. Calvin and Jin were talking about remedies for the mine gases. Toby was 'resting his eyes'.

Selena looked really irritated. She stormed over to Angela. "Where is Kasey?" she asked trying to keep her frustration from being taken out on the idiot's sister.

"I'm not sure. He wasn't up when Kevin and I left. We thought for sure they would be up. I'm really sorry." Angela said.

"That idiot's going to get if doesn't show up soon." The redhead muttered as she walked away.

"Nine o'clock. Okay folks time to get handcuffed," Hamilton grinned.

* * *

Selena waited with Owen and Wizard on the steps of the Church. It had been a half hour since the other pairs were handcuffed and set free. Angela had promised to go home right away and get Kasey and Molly over to the Church Grounds. Unfortunately Luke had dragged her off towards the mine cart sending her off the 'long' way.

"That's it. I can't wait around much longer. Just hand me the handcuffs Hamilton. I'll fetch her myself," Owen said, as he stood up. Hamilton hesitated, but Owen persisted. "Don't worry. I'll just have Shelly clock us off. Luna's probably throwing a fit in her room."

Hamilton sighed and handed Owen his cuffs and waited along with the remaining two. Selena was about to insist she go and fetch Kasey herself, when the farmer came up along the steps, with his hands behind his head, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"What took you so long?" the fiery redhead fumed.

Kasey just laughed, "Sorry Sel, I just got caught up in playing a prank on-" Kasey stopped when seeing the Wizard. "I'll explain later."

"Well better late than never," Hamilton rejoiced. He cuffed the two and pushed them off. Kasey and Selena made their way towards the town.

"Shoot! I forgot to tend to the farm," Kasey realized.

"Are you serious! You have the nerve to be late and-" Selena started ranting.

"Okay, Okay I'm sorry. We just have to head to the farm real quick," Kasey interrupted.

Selena rolled her eyes as she followed behind Kasey. Upon reaching the farm, they bumped into a furious Molly.

"KASEY, YOU JERKFACE IDIOT GOOD FOR NOTHING TWERP! I AM GOING TO GET YOU!" Molly shouted as she ran towards Kasey with her axe.

Kasey quickly spun around attempting to run. Unfortunately for him, Selena was not high tailing it and they ended up falling. Angela and Luke were a distance back. Angela pondered upon the notion of stopping her sister. After all Kasey was the one the messed up Molly's clock. In the end Angela shouted after her sister, in fear that someone might actually get hurt. Molly reached the fallen duo and pushed the tiny stub on the edge of her axe into her brother's chest. Her hair fell blocking her eyes and her face darkened.

"You are going get it later. You're lucky I'm in a hurry or you would have been in serious pain," Molly warned. Molly put her axe in her rucksack and started to sprint off.

"Hey Molly, you might want to actually get dressed first," Kasey called after her. Molly looked down to see that she was still wearing her turnip themed pajamas. Molly turned red and rushed into the farmhouse. Kasey laughed and Selena was astonished. Selena yanked herself up and pulled at the cuffs for Kasey to get up. Luke dragged Angela off towards Flute Fields, as Kasey walked over to his crops.

"Okay, well this patch needs to be watered and these strawberries appear ripe. Looks like we got a little bit of work to do," Kasey said.

"We?" Selena asked, giving him the are-you-serious glare.

"Well if we work together, it will be done faster."

"No."

"Come on Sel, please?"

"Fine, but you owe me," she replied. The farmer grinned and together they were able to tend to the fields.

"Wow, I didn't know that you were that great at harvesting. Maybe you should help out more often," Kasey laughed.

"In your dreams," the dancer replied.

"Well then, I'm looking forward to dreaming. The barn and coop are next. Let's head to the barn first," Kasey said.

The redhead tried to cross her arms in annoyance, but was dragged along instead. Kasey began to brush his cow and sheep. The cow mooed loudly and the sheep baaed gently, while nuzzling Selena. A small smile spread on her face. _Maybe this wasn't too bad, _she thought.

"Want me to show you how to milk a cow?" Kasey offered.

Selena rolled her eyes and grabbed the milker from Kasey. "I know how to milk a cow."

She used the milker, resulting in a perfect milk. Kasey clapped his hands, jerking slightly at Selena' s wrist.

"Well done," he smiled. "Now let's see how well you do with the eggs."

* * *

Gill was annoyed, or that was the nice way to put it rather. The Witch Princess had dragged him along to the edge of the Fogue Forest.

"I'm not going into the forest," he stated.

The witch put her hands on her hips, causing Gill to stumble. "And why not?"

"I have important matters to take care of. Plus that forest is a maze, unsuited for an underequipped pair as ourselves," the mayor's son insisted, regaining his balance.

"I'm a witch. The forest is my home. Underequipped? You're being a big baby. Honestly, I think the real reason you don't want to go into the forest is that you don't want to get your fancy shoes dirty." The witch retorted.

"Well, they are new and quite pricey. It would be a shame to allow them contact with the forest filth, but that's not the point. I have obligations in town hall," Gill replied.

"I have stuff I need to do as well. I've been working on a new potion and-"

"Exactly, you understand the value of work. You are just simply ignorant to the fact that my job is more important that yours." Gill interrupted.

"I swear if this kid wasn't cuffed to me I would turn him into a frog. Ignorant? This kid really doesn't want to live long enough to be mayor." she muttered under her breath.

"Pardon?" Gill asked puzzled. She rolled her eyes and flicked her hand back towards the town. _I'll do my potions later. Maybe I can test one out on Gill. I do have a potion book that might have something amusing,_ she thought as they headed back towards the town. Once they got to town hall they walked in to find that Hamilton was nowhere in sight.

"Father is shirking work as usual. I better get started," Gill said bluntly.

"So what do you do that is _so_ important? Paperwork?" the Witch Princess snorted.

"Yes, actually. Paperwork is vital to the island's well-being. You see if ..."

The Witch Princess zoned out as Gill continued to defend his status as the master of paperwork. _Which animal would be the most entertaining to turn Gill into? A rabbit? A collie? Maybe a donkey? I wonder, _she pondered. She snapped out of her daze, just as Gill finished speaking.

"…and that's why paperwork is essential to the foundation of this town."

The witch nodded, pretending to understand.

"You weren't paying attention, were you?" he figured.

"Nope. The whole speech about paperwork just doesn't do it for me. Sorry kiddo."

"Kiddo? Just how old ar-" he started.

"I've been looking for you two!" Hamilton interrupted, probably saving Gill from asking one of the worst questions possible to a woman who has been around for quite a while. "How about we have some lunch?"

* * *

Phoebe tapped her foot impatiently. She and Julius had been at Sonata Tailoring for two hours. They still had ten hours left and Julius was being ridiculous.

"No!" she spat for the umpteenth time.

"Why not? I think matching uniforms for the competitions would be fabulous. Plus it wouldn't hurt anyone if you put more effort into your outfit. Oh and your hair would look fabulous with a few streaks of color like mine," Julius said.

"Enough! I like my hair and my clothes function well for my type of work. I invent things and I work in the mines. This outfit is highly mobile and practical," she responded. Julius shook his head.

"Oh Phoebe, what are we to do with you?" he sighed. "I still think you would like this," he added, holding up a hot pink miniskirt. Phoebe frowned.

"I'll wear that the day you shave all your hair off," Phoebe snapped. Julius rolled his eyes.

"Oh, look at that," he said, rushing towards another rack. He picked out a knee- length black skirt and long black pants. "This would be marvelous for our team outfit. Of course I would wear these black pants and you sport the skirt."

"Oh really? I could have sworn it would have been the other way around," Phoebe muttered out of his earshot. Julius gave her a funny look and she shook her head no.

"You are impossible," Julius groaned. Phoebe continued to frown, while thinking of her last night's conversation with her mother.

"_I can't believe this," Phoebe complained. _

"_What's done is done Phoebe. You can't change it now so look on the bright side. You got one of our neighbors as a partner. If you want to plan winning strategies, it will be easy. Anyway I think it's good for you to get out of the house and go somewhere besides the mine," her mother said._

"_I don't even want to do this. Especially not with him. We're so different that I can't stand him," Phoebe groaned. _

"_Well instead of focusing on the differences, find something in common. He like's gems right? You could show him your collection or take him to the mine. You can look at the rock like it's him and smash it. If he talks it makes it more fun. Maybe you two will find some gems of your own."_

"_Ugh." the daughter groaned again, rolling her eyes. _

Phoebe recomposed herself, realizing Julius was waving a hand in front of her face.

"Look at this Safari outfit. You are worried about your clothes being practical. I've seen Molly wear a similar one and she seems to get things done, while looking fab. We could try these," said with a bit of hope in his voice. Her eyes scanned the outfit. It was more functionable.

"Fine, but only if we can go to the mines after we buy them," she said.

"The mines? Why would I go there?" he questioned.

"To mine, of course," she replied.

"I don't want to get my outfit dirty in that place."

"Fine. No Safari outfits then."

"Okay okay. We can go to the mines for a little," he conceded. She grinned.

They made their purchase and headed off to Garmon mine. Phoebe led the way eagerly. She rummaged through her rucksack to find her hammer. As they reached the mine entrance, she took it out. Julius tried to talk her out of the mine, yet her determination led them to the thirteenth floor of the mine. Every floor Phoebe smashed something. At first it was awkward to only be able to hammer with one hand, but she got the hang of it. She found a few junk ores, which Julius made disgusted face to when she picked them up. As he put it, "Ores are junk and do not contain the beauty of a gem." Other than the junk ore, Phoebe had no luck, but she was fine with that. It just felt satisfying to smash something.

On the thirteenth floor, Phoebe found several yellow wonderfuls.

"You can get Mira to refine those," Julius noted. He looked at his watch. "We've been here for an hour, it's time to leave."

"Just a bit longer," Phoebe said.

"No way," he said, yanking at the handcuffs. She didn't budge. He yanked again, but this time he stepped on a X on the ground. Next thing they knew, it was black and they were falling.

* * *

Renee made sure to have a picnic basket ready to go for the day. She and Toby had made plans to go fishing on the small dock in front of the Brass Bar. If they were going to spend the day together, they might as well do something they both enjoyed. Last night the brunette had invested a good chunk of time trying to make a shining sashimi. After a few attempts, the brunette prevailed. She tossed in a few other snacks into the basket and went to sleep.

Now the pair was figuring out a method to cast, despite the handcuffs. It was a bit problematic since both of them were right-handed. Nevertheless the couple managed to figure it out. Toby would cast off on his right, while casting together with Renee on his left. Renee would then take the fishing rod and the pair would wait patiently for a fish to bite.

"It's such a nice day," Renee mused.

"Yes, it really is," Toby said. "It's a great time to fish too. Spring is pleasantly warm, not too hot nor too cold. Say Renee, do you remember the last time we fished together?"

"Hmm. Oh yes! You asked me if I wanted to go boat fishing sometime," she remarked. Toby nodded.

"Yes, we should definitely do that one of these days," Toby added.

"What do you think of these competitions?" Renee asked. The fisherman shrugged.

"I—Woah, I'm getting a bite. It's a big one," Toby said, pulling hard. Renee shifted her pole to her left hand and let Toby drag her cuffed arm to pull in the fish. A good sized Sea Bream made its way to the water's surface, still fighting its way back to the sea. Toby gave the rod another yank, sending the fish flying into the air.

"Flying fish!" a young voice exclaimed, revealing a set of three children. The girl elbowed the blonde boy.

"Taylor, you blew our cover. Do you even know how to spy?" Chloe scolded.

"Hey, you were the one making kissy faces. We would have gotten caught from laughing anyway and I spy on my sister all the time," Taylor defended.

"Wait, how long were you children there?" Renee asked.

"Long enough," Chloe smirked.

"Toby and Renee sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, -OW!" Taylor chanted, dancing around. Paolo elbowed him. "What did you do that for?"

"They aren't even paying attention," Paolo pointed out. Toby and Renee had their backs facing the children. Their faces were pink, but out of sight of the children.

"Aw, there no fun. Let's find Owen and Taylor's sister. They'll be more fun to mess with," Chloe said. The boys nodded as they wandered off.

Toby and Renee laughed awkwardly after they left.

"Kids," they said in unison.

* * *

**Thanks for reading chapter! I'm not sure when the next one will be since Girl Scout Cookie season is here and I'm stuck spending my weekends selling them... Anyway thanks to everyone following, favoriting, and reviewing this story. I'm super glad people like this story :) **

** I . Hope .You. Dance.7- Yes, I am a Luke fangirl. To be honest I really disliked Selena in TOT, but her character in AP was better, and through fanfiction I found she was actually interesting. :) I agree the couple dynamics are hard, but that make's it more fun! Thanks again for the review!**

**lnex- Thanks a bunch! lol **

**badtzmaru2- I'm glad you like this story. Your review actually brought my attention back to the half done chapter. Hope you liked this chapter!**


	3. Handcuffs Pt 2

**Note from the author: I'm soooooooooooooooooooooo sorry about the delay in updates. School was a time consuming pain... However, Friday marked the start of my summer vacation! I will be going on a trip later this month, so my next update might also be delayed. I will be coming up with an update schedule starting in July :). Thanks for the patience. Thank you for everyone who reviewed, followed, and/or favorited this story! Enjoy this chapter!**

Molly ran towards the church. _I hope he is not too mad at me_. She finally reached the steps to find the Wizard sitting calmly. The brunette bowed her head repeatedly.

"I am so sorry. I really am. Please forgive me. I am really sorry,"

"Mol-" the Wizard attempted to say.

"Please do not be too mad. My brother messed with my alarm and I overslept. I did not-"

"Molly," the Wizard said louder, this time catching her attention.

"Huh?"

"All is forgiven. You do not need to apologize so much," he stated.

"Thanks. I guess we should go find Hamilton so he can handcuff us. I thought he would be here. Where do you think he is?" Molly asked.

"He went to his home to get something," the Wizard replied. "I assume he will return momentarily."

The farmer nodded and plopped herself next to the magician. Her eyes darted to the church ground walls and she promptly stood up and walked over to the round outreach. The Wizard followed slowly. Molly set her arms on the edge of the stone wall, staring into the sea.

"The ocean is so pretty and seems so endless. The sun's reflection is just so magical," she mused. The sunlight danced in her eyes as she continued to gaze off into the water. "I say so a lot don't I?"

"A bit, I suppose," he said softly.

"There she is! We have been waiting young lady. Better late than never though," Hamilton said, popping in on the scene.

"Huh," said the startled pair in unison. They spun around to face a grinning mayor.

"Good morning Mayor Hamilton. I am very sorry for my tardiness. Can we get clocked off now?" Molly asked.

"Sure thing, Molly," the mayor replied, reaching for the cuffs. The pair each surrendered a wrist. The mayor made quick work of locking them together. "There you two go. It is currently 10:30. You two have twelve hours. I have to go make a few preparations. I will see you two around." Hamilton then proceeded to rush towards his home.

"Well looks like we are good to go now. Where do you want to go?" Molly questioned.

"I do not have a preference," the Wizard stated simply.

"Oh ok, well I guess we could- Oh Shoot! I forgot my animals and my crops! Can we please head to my farm? I am really sorry again. I cannot believe this is happening," she said, hinting remorse.

"It is fine," he responded, motioning for them to get going. The two walked at a steady pace heading toward the ranch.

"So I think the point of this cuffing is to get to know each other for our partner events. So what's your favorite drink?" she asked.

"Coffee, yours?" he replied.

"Honeydew milk, what about favorite ice cream flavor?"

"Coffee."

"You must really like coffee. I am pretty traditional when it comes to ice cream though. I love chocolate. Kevin likes blueberry, Angela likes cherry, and Kasey is just plain weird. He likes yam ice cream. It is kind of absurd. One time when the four of us were little our parents took us to the ice cream shop in the city. It was amazing. They had every flavor you could dream of. We had so much fun sampling everything. That's where Kasey had his first taste of yam ice cream and I decided chocolate was the supreme flavor. I guess I am sort of rambling now. I can be quiet if you prefer," she said.

"I do not mind. Your story is quite amusing."

Molly smiled and was about to continue speaking when a scream came from the coop.

"Get it off me. My head, it's scratching at my hair. Ah!" a voice shrieked.

"Hold still," a male voice stated.

"Kasey? Selena? What is going on?" Molly inquired.

Her question was soon answered as the farmer and dancer stumbled out of the coop. The disheveled redhead was clearly furious. Her hair fell out from her usual bun and her eyes glared hard at Kasey.

"Those chickens are ridiculous. How the heck do you take care of those little monsters? Why did you even make me go in there? This is entirely your fault. If you would have been responsible and done all your farm stuff earlier we would not have been in this mess," she ranted.

"Chill Sel, the chickens just got riled up," Kasey said, holding his hands in front of him in a defensive manner.

"Chill? Do not tell me to chill! This is your entire fault." Selena shouted.

"What if it is my fault? It does not give you a reason to overreact. Stop being such a brat," Kasey shouted.

"You know what? I am done with you," Selena muttered, turning her body away from her partner.

"Oh so you are going to ignore me? You forgot we are chained together. It is a bit hard to do," Kasey snapped. The farmer boy paused and caught his sister's eyes. "What are you two doing here?"

Molly was about to say something, but the Wizard spoke, "Molly has to do some work. I believe several apologies are in order." Molly looked shocked, but quickly nodded in agreement. Kasey and the Wizard stared at each other. Molly's head turned back and forth in between the staring contest.

"Fine." Kasey said, finally breaking up the staring contest. "I do not really like being angry with everyone anyway. I guess this situation is sort of my fault anyway."

"Sort of?" Selena scoffed.

"Fine, it is mostly my fault." Kasey said rolling his eyes.

"Kasey," Molly said, placing her arms on her hips.

"Okay, Okay. Selena, I am sorry about the chicken thing and being late. Molly, I apologize about pulling a prank on such an important day. Wiz, I am sorry I caused Molly to be late. Everyone happy now?"

"Whatever. You still owe me," Selena stated.

"What do you want princess?" Kasey asked, rolling his eyes again.

"Oh so now I am a princess. Not a brat?" the dancer remarked.

"Just tell me what you want," Kasey mumbled.

"You are taking me out to lunch at Toucan Island," Selena said.

"What? That's expensive!" Kasey exclaimed. The redhead shrugged and dragged the boy off towards the pier.

"Well it looks like that is all sorted out. Thanks Wizard," Molly said.

"I suppose and there is no need to thank me," the Wizard replied. Molly smiled. _He really is nice._ "Do you have something you need to do?"

"Oh, that's right! Hold on, I will be right back." Molly said, snapping out of her thoughts. She was about to dash off, but the Wizard's voice stopped her.

"Molly, we are stuck together." He stated.

"Oh! Sorry, it slipped my mind," Molly said, blushing slightly.

The duo proceeded to tend to the crops, the chickens, and took a small break sitting in the barn.

"You know I think Soot really likes you," the girl stated, referring to her black kid.

"All your animals are in great care. They seem to love you a lot," the magician responded. Molly blushed lightly at the compliment.

"Thanks, well we should get going," she said, getting up. The two headed to the Wizard's home.

"Wizard, do you have another name?" Molly questioned.

"Yes," he replied. Molly paused, waiting for the rest of his reply, but he failed to give her any more details.

"A crystal ball? Wizard, can you do a reading for me?" Molly asked. He nodded and sat across from her with both of their arms resting on the table.

"What would you like to know?" he asked.

"Hm. Oh how are the other couples doing?"

"I am afraid I can only tell you about information that pertains to emotions of others towards you," the Wizard said.

"Oh okay. What do my friends think of me? Can you start with Kathy?" Molly questioned. He nodded and a blue light appeared around the crystal ball.

"She thinks you are an awesome friend and loves to go horseback riding with you and Renee."

"Cool!" Molly exclaimed. After a few more readings, Molly picked up a constellation book and began to read. The book was well preserved and one could tell that it had been read many times. Its binding appeared frail yet was as sturdy as an ox. For hours Molly's attention was captivated and the Wizard picked up an old spell book to consume his time.

"Molly, do you really like stars?" the Wizard finally asked. Molly looked up and nodded.

"I love them. These stories are fascinating. If you want your book back, you can have it. I'm sorry for reading it too long," the girl said. The Wizard stood up and motioned for Molly to follow. He walked across a room and picked up a telescope. The pair headed outside to find that night had already fallen. The Wizard led an unnaturally quiet Molly up the stairs to the roof tops of the town's buildings. He carefully placed his telescope down and motioned for Molly to peer through.

"Wow. The stars are so beautiful. I cannot believe what I am seeing. Thank you so much for sharing this view. I cannot find words lovely enough to describe this feeling," Molly rejoiced. "Thank you Wizard."

"Gale," said the Wizard out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"My name is Gale." He replied. The pair smiled at the new level of trust. Gale showed Molly all of the constellations, his practiced eye could see and Molly observed eagerly. Molly glanced at her watch.

"It is eleven thirty!" she exclaimed, eyes widening. "We got to find Hamilton!"

* * *

"So this is the herb garden, that produces the herbs you bring occasionally," Jin noted.

"Yes, I try to raise them so that they can be useful for medicine," Anissa smiled.

"It is quite obvious that you have raised them with meticulous care," Jin replied, pushing up his glasses.

"I'm glad you like the garden. If it was another season there would be herbs growing," Anissa said, frowning slightly. She scanned her garden and spotted an invader. "Would you mind bending down a bit, so I can reach that weed?" she asked, motioning towards the green sprout. Jin nodded and the duo knelt down. Anissa gave a gentle tug and the weed came out. "Jin, can I interest you in a cup of herbal tea?"

"I would love a cup," Jin replied.

"Let's head inside," Anissa said. The pair went inside the Marimba farm building. "Cold or hot?"

"Cold will be sufficient. I don't want to trouble you," Jin answered.

"It wouldn't have been a bother," Anissa mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing," she replied, shaking her head. She opened the fridge and took out the pitcher of tea she had made the night before. She took out two glasses and filled them. They headed to the table and started some small talk.

"I see we have a guest, unfortunately," Craig commented walking in on the duo.

"Father!" Anissa said, embarrassed at his sudden rudeness.

"Dear, please don't be rude to our guests," Ruth said, coming in behind Craig. Turning to Jin she offered an apology. "I'm sorry. He's just upset about the broken seed maker."

"It's quite alright," Jin replied, taking a sip of tea.

"You know what Ruth? I can't even remember why we all went along with the mayor's silly plan," Craig remarked, eying Jin.

"Oh Craig. What I am going to do with you? You know very well why. We should even consider ourselves lucky. Jin is a fine young man," Ruth said. Anissa looked down at her cup, blushing of embarrassment.

"Whatever. I need to go fix that blasted machine," Craig scoffed.

"Sorry again, Jin. He's just really upset," Ruth said, as she and Craig headed to the back.

"Sorry about that," Anissa said.

"No need to apologize," Jin replied. "He was in a bad mood and it's reasonable to think of this whole challenge idea to be absurd." Anissa smiled gratefully. The duo quietly sipped their tea, until eventually each reached the bottom of the glass.

"I have something I needed to check up on at the clinic. If it isn't a bother, would you mind if we headed over now?" Jin asked.

"I don't mind," Anissa replied. They stood up and headed out. As they reached the door, Anissa paused and Jin stepped onto the edge of Anissa's dress, stumbling. Jin failed to regain balance and tripped on the small steps of the home. Anissa soon came tumbling down with him. "Are you okay?"

"I think I should be asking you that. I'm quite alright. Are you fine?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said, making an attempt to stand up. Jin yelped as he stood and quickly sat back down. "Looks like you're hurt. Let me have a look." The girl gently touched the doctor's ankle, where the coloring seemed to be odd.

"Ow!" Jin yelled.

"I barely touched it. It must be serious," Anissa said. Suddenly the trio of children appeared.

"We found her!" Taylor yelled in triumph. The kids ran up ready to tease, but stopped upon seeing Anissa's worried face. "Sis, what's wrong?"

"Taylor, go get dad," Anissa commanded. Chloe and Pablo were about to rush off with the blonde boy, but Anissa halted them. "Chloe and Pablo, I need you to go get Cain. He can probably help carry Jin to the clinic better than my father. Please hurry." The duo nodded and dashed off.

* * *

"Get out of my room!" the pinkette screamed.

"Sorry, no can do. You know we have to do this, so let's just get it over with," Owen replied, crossing his arms in annoyance. The girl shook her head and attempted to dash off. The blacksmith caught her arm by the door. "Luna, stop acting like a little kid."

"Never say that again," Luna warned, pointing her finger to his face. He gently pushed away her hand and held up the cuffs. Rolling her eyes, Luna stuck out her hand. After attaching the cuffs, the pair exited Sonata Tailoring with a quick wave to Shelley. "So what's the plan?"

"Plan?" Owen asked.

"Yes. The plan. Where are we going? What are we going to do? That kind of plan," Luna snapped.

"There isn't any. Why would we need one anyway?" he questioned.

"Preparedness makes the world go round," Luna scolded. Under her breath, she muttered, "Gill would have been prepared." Unbeknownst to Luna, Owen heard the second part and frowned.

"So then why don't you have a plan?" he retorted, sick of her hostility.

"I did. It failed. Anyway it's the guy's job to entertain the girl," she replied.

"You're acting like this is a date," Owen said smirking.

"This is NOT a date!" Luna screamed. "Why would I ever want to go out with _you_?"

"If it's not a date, why would I have had to plan anything?" he countered.

"Ugh." Luna groaned. Owen smiled at his victory.

"Hey, you mind heading to my place for a bit. I want to get something," he asked.

"Whatever," she muttered. They walked towards the church and Owen eyed something in Luna's hand. He was going to ask about it, but decided silence was probably better. He didn't need constant bickering. "Why are we going this way?"

"The mine carts are faster," Owen responded.

"Mine carts? You're joking right. Those are filthy," Luna said, stopping.

"It will be fine," Owen said. She shook her head and Owen kept marching forward, leaving Luna forced to stumble behind him. As much as she hated to admit it, he was way too strong for her to put up a decent fight. She groaned as the two sat down in the cart. "Relax. It's fun." The mine cart launched and Luna shrieked in surprise. However she stopped and watched as the cart made its way to the Garmon Mine district. A small smile crept on her lips. She did find it fun, not that she would ever let that red head know he was right. They exited the cart and made their way to the blacksmith shop. Upon walking in, heat soon entrapped them.

"It's so hot in here. How can you stand it?" Luna complained. He shrugged and continued to his room. He grabbed some Gs to buy some lunch at the Inn while Luna stared at the massive weights. Noticing her gaze he grabbed one and started to lift it with ease. Luna rolled her eyes.

"Unimpressed? How about you try lifting it?" Owen teased.

"I'm good. Thanks."

"Want to go grab a bite to eat?" he said, cracking a smile.

"Fine." Luna huffed. They two walked towards the exit. Owen heard something hit the ground. "Wait!"

It was too late; the blacksmith had already squashed the object. He lifted his foot and saw broken pieces of what was once a Sakura Seashell.

"Luna, I'm sorry," he said quickly. Her eyes were focused down at the pink fragments. He could have sworn he saw a tear fall from her face. "Are you crying?" She rubbed her eyes with her sleeve and looked up.

"No. I don't cry," she snapped.

"I'm sorry. I can get you another shell," he offered.

"No! No, you can't. That shell had sentimental value. A special person gave that to me," she snarled, her voice quivering.

"Who? Gill?" he retorted. Owen saw her face and immediately recognized he had gone too far. "I'm sorry. That was out of line." She turned, refusing to look at him. He swore he saw another tear. "Luna…"

**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to let me know what you thought about the chapter. I also noticed that the humor has been dwindling, but it soon pick back up soon :). Look forward to seeing Luke, Angela, Kathy, Calvin, and more next time! **

**Review responses: **

**Hope: Sorry about the grammar. I try to read things over at least once, but little things always seem to escape me. I'm glad you enjoyed chapter two! I love Toby and Renee. I do imagine Kasey being sort of Lukish, but smarter and different in other ways. I love Kathy too and yes Calvin is a bit boring, but when I started listing pairings Kathy was stuck with Calvin or Jin, so I opted for Calvin. I will do the best I can to make the pairing work though. :) Thanks again for reviewing.**

**badtzmaru2: Thanks again for another review! Toby and Renee do have a good chance, but who knows. I do agree that many of the other couples do indeed seem to want to grab at each others throats. lol Thanks again! **


	4. Handcuffs Pt 3

**Note from the author: Sorry this chapter is kinda short, but I wanted to start updating my stories. I might do two more handcuff chapters instead of one more, but we'll see. Thanks to everyone following, favoriting, reviewing, and reading this story. I apologize for any errors. I may proofread this tomorrow, but I wrote on my profile I would get this up today. Anyway enjoy!**

"Uh Luke, where are we going?" the brunette asked, eyes glancing around Fugue Forest. The pair had been trucking through the massive labyrinth of a forest for quite some time, following Luke's 'gut instinct' as a guide. The carpenter examined the trees of the area they were currently in.

"It's a surprise," he replied with a grin. Angela sighed, wondering if letting Luke drag her around was a mistake. "We're almost there." Within a few more minutes, Luke pointed to particularly large tree. "Um Angela, how good are you at climbing?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"I've climbed a tree before, but it wasn't very big," Angela explained.

"Well, I'm a pro. I can teach you in no time," Luke said, pointing to himself with his thumb. Angela eyed the tree then the handcuff. Luke flashed a smile and grabbed the lowest tree branch with his free arm and lifted his other arm to join.

"Luke, the cuffs!" the farmer exclaimed, as her wrist was being yanked. The carpenter glanced at the cuffs and blinked.

"Oh yeah. That might have been a problem," Luke replied, letting go of the tree. He started pacing; Angela forced to follow. "We need to get rid of these… That's it! I'll give them an extreme chop with my axe!"

"No. We can't do that. Cutting the handcuffs is cheating. Imagine what would happen if the mayor found out," Angela said.

"True. I can't lose this competition to Owen or Kasey. Any ideas?"

"I don't know. Do we need to climb this tree that badly?"

"Yes. I have an awesome plan and we need to climb this tree in order to execute it."

"It's not like we can just pick the lock and run home free."

Luke perked up. "What did you say?"

"I said it's not like we can just pick the lock… wait a second. You can't possible do that right."

Luke grinned and dug through his pocket, feeling for anything that could be of use. "If only we had one of Chase's hair clips," he joked. Angela gave off a small giggle, but quickly stopped. He could not pick the lock. That was cheating. _Cheating._ That word did not sit well with the farmer girl. She had been the good, mild child for as long as she could remember. Playing it safe described her actions to a T. Molly and Kasey were the risk-takers. But trying to stop Luke once he made his mind up was extremely difficult. And it would be hazardous to climb the tree cuffed together, especially since she was a mere neophyte when it came to climbing. There had to be a way to make it fair. An idea popped into her head, just as Luke discovered a misshaped paper clip in his back pocket. "Victory!" He began to bend the metal piece to uncuff the pair.

"Wait," Angela said, abruptly. Luke looked up and stared directly into Angela's eyes. Cocking his head to side, his eyes gave off a questioning look. "If we do this, we need to clock the time and add to the time we are supposed to be freed. Which means, we need to recuff after climbing."

"You got a deal," Luke said almost too quickly. Angela was oblivious to the excitement of the carpenter. More time with her was a bonus for him. He quickly picked the lock, whistling as he worked. Soon the pair was free. Reevaluating the tree, Luke shook his head. "I changed my mind."

"Wait… What?" Angela questioned as she stared. She could not believe that Luke would back out of their arrangement so quickly. Luke glanced at the farmer. She looked like a deer stuck in headlights.

"I'm going to climb the tree alone. Why? Did you want me to teach you that badly?" he asked.

Angela released a sigh of relief and started laughing. Of course he was not talking about the handcuffs. He was not the type to break a promise. Luke scratched his head, clearly puzzled, but shook it off. Readjusting his bandana, he prepared to climb.

"I'm going up."

"Be careful."

The carpenter gave a thumbs up and proceeded to grab the lowest tree limb for the second time that day. He pulled himself up and continued to climb the tree with great skill, reminding Angela of a monkey. His figure became smaller as he got higher.

"I got it! Yahoo! Uh-oh. Angela run!" Luke yelled. Puzzled from his shift in tone, Angela stared as Luke was making a rapid decent down the tree. "Run!" he warned once again. The girl saw a big black swarm chasing her partner. Looking at his arm, she soon discovered why. She began to run, but quickly halted. It was too easy for her to get lost here. Finally on the ground, Luke grabbed her arm and together they sprinted a few chambers deeper into the forest. The buzzing of the bees in pursuit slowly diminished. After catching his breath, Luke fist pumped the air in triumph. Angela, however, was horrified. A massive swarm of insects had tried to sting her. Unable to speak, the brunette stared at the boy in front of her in bewilderment. Luke broke open the hive revealing an oozing golden substance. "There's nothing like fresh honey," he said with a smile. "Sorry, I made you run so fast. But, you have to try this." He held up the honeycombs. Angela removed a glove from her hand and hesitantly stuck her finger into the sticky honey. She brought her finger to her mouth. It was good. Really good.

"Wow, it is incredible," she replied. "But you could have gotten hurt."

"Don't worry, I do all the time. I've only gotten stung about… five times," he replied. "It's worth it though. A little sting is nothing. Anyway we got to get going."

"Where?"

"Still a surprise."

"Just promise me it doesn't involve bees."

"No bees."

"Is it safe to reattach our handcuffs now?"

"Oh yeah. Here," Luke replied, holding out his wrist. Angela fastened his wrist to hers. "All right! Follow me." The duo wandered further into the forest, until they came across an open area of land. "This is the place." He placed the honey in the middle of the clearing. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an orange whistle. He brought it close to his mouth, but stopped. "Where are my manners. You want to do the honors?" Luke wiped the tip of the whistle on his shirt and handed it to Angela. "Just give it a hard blow."

"Okay," Angela said, still confused.

"Tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!" the whistle sounded.

Suddenly a several animals appeared in front of the duo. Each made their way over to the honey.

"They're so cute," Angela whispered.

"You can pet them," Luke added.

"Really?"

After he nodded, Angela made her way over cautiously. The white bunny was the first to look up. The weasel ran over to the approaching farmer. Soon he was followed by the monkey, the bear cub, and the frog. Angela got on her knees and stroked the animals' heads gently. Luke took a seat on the dirt. The rest of the animals scampered over and they all seem to make a bit of noise, thanking the duo for the treat. The animals scurried back over to the honey and once it was all gone, they dispersed.

"Did you like your surprise?"

"Thank you Luke," Angela smiled, giving him a hug. He looked up trying to hide the pink in his cheeks.

"You're welcome."

* * *

"So, any idea what you want to do now?" Kathy asked, putting her free arm on her hip.

"I'm good with just about anything," Calvin replied.

"I have to work starting at four o' clock, do you mind? If you do I'm sure we can work something out."

"I wouldn't mind spending a few hours at the bar."

"Thanks. You can have a cocktail of your choice, on the house." she replied. She gave a small sigh. It was nice that Calvin was flexible, but he seemed mild and unexcited for the day. Pursing her lips, the cowgirl began to think of something they could do together. "Calvin, you play guitar, right?"

"Yes, you interested in it?"

"Can you show me how to play?"

"Sure thing. I can teach you some basic chords and maybe a simple song or two. Let's head over to the inn."

The duo strolled to Ocarina Inn. Calvin led the way to his room. He grabbed the instrument motioned for Kathy to sit with him on the floor. The explorer carefully strummed each string, checking the sound.

"She's in tune," he mumbled. "Alrighty then. Let's start with the basics. How much do you know about musical intruments?"

"Not much, but I'll do what I can."

Calvin plucked each string and named it. "You see, it's really a bunch of letter combinations."

"I think I see. E,A, D, G, B, E."

"Then when you hold down the strings in certain places you get more notes," he explained, demonstrating a basic scale as best he could with the attached cuffs.

"Can I give it a try?"

Calvin nodded, passing his guitar to her lap. Kathy strummed the guitar slowly. She then followed the scale and hummed along.

"You're a quick learner," Calvin complimented. Kathy smiled as he continued to instruct her. Eventually Kathy learned several chords and a simple tune. He was pondering on what to teach her next, when a large crash came from the main lobby of the inn. The pair made their way towards the noise. As they entered the lobby, they spotted a huge pile of some sort of food and glass on the ground. Nearby was an angry Chase scolding his partner. Maya's eyes were sad like an abandoned puppy, while her apron had food prints all over it.

"What happened?" Kathy asked, pulling Calvin closer to the other pair.

"This one dropped the dish she made this morning," Chase replied.

"I just wanted you to try it," Maya sniffed.

"You shouldn't have been so clumsy," the cook snapped. Kathy frowned. Sure, Maya was a little clumsy, but odds were she dropped it when Chase refused it. After all, everyone in the village knew that a taste of Maya's cooking would result in a trip to the clinic.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Kathy said to Maya. "Where's Colleen or Jake? They have keys right?" As if on cue, the married couple walked in.

"What's going on?" Jake questioned.

"I dropped something," Maya admitted.

"Is that the cake you were so eager to make this morning?" Colleen asked. Maya nodded.

"Would you mine uncuffing us for a few minutes? I wanted to help Maya freshen up," Kathy said. Jake walked over and unlocked the two handcuffs. "Let's go." The girls headed to Maya's room, while the guys just stood there.

"Cake. She seriously thought that I would want something she made. Just look at it. That substance is not cake. The coloring is off and there was a strong scent of mayonnaise coming off of it," Chase complained.

"I see. It does look strange," Calvin replied. Looking around, he saw that Maya's parents had disappeared. Staring at the mess he sighed. "We should probably do something about that before someone gets hurt."

"Great, I have to clean up her mess," Chase grumbled rolling his eyes. "I'll get a broom." As he left, Calvin inspected the disaster zone. Chase was right. It looked green and blackish, with a sour scent. Soon, Chase returned and the two began to clean the floor. "It's going to need to be mopped, but at least we got the glass out of the way."

Maya and Kathy emerged out of the doorway. Maya was wearing an extra outfit and food remains were gone from sight. Colleen followed behind and the pairs were back to being cuffed. Kathy and Calvin purchased a snack from the inn then left for Horn Ranch, upon Kathy's request.

"I hope Sophie will like the carrots I brought," Kathy mused on the way over.

"Sophie?"

"Sophie is my horse. I keep her at Horn Ranch because the town isn't the best place for a horse. It's a good deal. Renee takes care of her when I can't and I can ride my girl when I want."

"You like racing?"

"I love it. The wind in my hair and I feel so free. Do you ride?"

"Not very often, but I have ridden before."

"We should race. Well, another time, considering it would be rather impossible chained together."

"I'll take you up on that offer."

* * *

**Next update estimate:July 19th or 20th. **

**Review Response: Supermanisawesome: Thanks! I'm glad you like the humor. And Kevin and Candace are planned for next chapter! Thanks for reviewing.**


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